This invention relates generally to the transfer of data between two points and more particularly to the transfer of data between a vehicle and a collecting point on a "hands-off" basis.
For effective fleet management it is necessary to be able to monitor and control the operation of each vehicle in the fleet. For example, information which is highly relevant in this regard includes the following for each vehicle: distance travelled by each vehicle, travel time, fuel consumption, number of stops, duration of stops, maximum speed, maximum engine speed, and the like.
With the aid of modern technology this type of information can be collected on board a vehicle. The data can then be transferred from the vehicle to a collecting point and this is normally done through human intervention. It is, however, desirable to be able to transfer such data from a vehicle to a collecting point and, where necessary, to be able to transfer data from the collecting point to the vehicle, with a minimum of human intervention.